Monday, November 14, 2011

withers away @ 11:48 pm

It's something Mystical

yesterday was a pretty perculiar day. started off with a sad event, ended up with a happy one.

xin ying's mum passed away due to cancer a few days back. i found out the way to her place and drove mum there. they had knew each other for decades. mum has seen her three children grow up, and vice versa. auntie was a very devout catholic, and helped everyone she came across, and even those out of her way.
auntie's elder sister said that even when she fell ill, she just couldn't stay around in the house and would go to church or kindergarten to help and teach, despite her pain. in her words, 她把孩子交给上主照顾。all three children grew up well and fine. kind, helpful and gentle, like their mum was like. zi hong, the eldest, has already been working for a few years and just bought his car last year. xin ying just graduated from uni last year. the youngest son, zi rui, has just finished his NS and starting uni soon. 眼看孩子一个个成才，妈妈却没有办法享福。that's what auntie's sister said...
we were there for quite some time really. i havent seen xin ying for so many years, let alone her brothers and father. throughout the whole time, i think i didn't even say a word. i couldn't say anything. 胸口就像有个东西卡住，哽在喉咙里。
mum was really quite devastated. 她说，她太有爱心了。我不同意。什么叫做“太”有爱心了？爱心，有超过的吗？帮助人，有帮助得完的吗？少一点爱心，她就不会死了吗？我说，她想用她短暂的生命，能帮多少是多少。是吧？

then the happy thing. i had the chance to sneak into the opening of the orchid conference. i was so underdressed i wanted to have the invisible cloak while walking around. but well, i think i acted like a PA or smth. trick is, look like you belong, when you don't. hehe.
frankly, i was pretty afraid that i'd feel lost in such a big and unfamiliar place. turned out i got more than what we thought we could bargain for. i sat there, at the vip table listening to the soundcheck. (shall refrain from commenting abt too many details regarding the event.) the ballroom's lighting was fantastic. obviously they spent a bomb there. literally. a. lot. then, thinking that the holding area would be a no-entry area for me, i walked around the dome myself. enjoyed this part cos i was feeling less self-conscious (without waiters/performers etc walking around me all the time) as there was no one ard! it's like being the only tourist in a tourist attraction. it was freezing cold, but the plants were too fascinating for me to really care.
then i got a call to go eat dinner with the guys. obviously i was stared at again, but nvm. felt so much more comfortable this time round sitting with them, as compared to the time in bkk when we first met. at least, there was conversation. then they were told that they had ard 2h to spare before their performance, so we went out walking around. we were going to return to the car, but it was still raining heavily, and i only had my small, pink and half-spoilt umbrella. no, no we decided, cos all the VIPs were arriving. not nice. imagine more staring. ok.
so we went into the dome and went roaming around. showed him all the stuff i was looking at just now, but since i only explored half of it, we went around the other half too. took photos everywhere, and he just couldn't stop himself from touching everything, so he just got pricked but still went on anyway. pls, we were in the desert plants area. tell me how many of those don't have pointy needle-like stuff. played with the interactive screens too.
then we were told to go back to the holding area cos apparently the VIPs have arrived and programme has started. then comes all the waiting. waited for SO long omg. even the guys were getting bored and whatever. i couldnt make myself to go into the ballroom in whatever i was wearing, though it was possible. so i just stood outside and listened to the performance. hmmm. ok. shall not say much abt this too.
oh oh, then comes the desserts from hilton! hehe. took the mango sorbet and hid back in my corner. then he came back with more desserts, which were pretty good. then it was more waiting, while the guys did their necessary socializing and what have you. was even introduced to some... i dunno apparently big enough shot to be in a black suit. was totally stunned when he talked to me that i errr stoned and was being introduced instead.
after we had enough of food and what not, we scooted off before most ppl came out. the car was fogging up so badly cos of the super cold weather. in the end we just opened the windows so that air temperature inside and outside would be the same.
"so how, was it fun?" "yah, minus the waiting." well, of course it was fun. i can only say, it was really an experience. hehe.